National News

WATCH: At Mexico Fun Park, a Border-Crossing 'Experience'

(Mike Opelka) Would you pay $20 for a three hour “experience” designed to show you what it is like to illegally cross the border from Mexico into the United States? At the amusement center known as Parque EcoAlberto in Hildago Mexico, they are packing the event nightly with tourists and locals.

The amusement park, described by CNN’s Nick Parker as “famously off-beat,” claims that their faux border crossing is designed to convince locals that illegal immigration like this is very dangerous.

To understand why the park created the “Night Walk” experience, you only have to look at the local census numbers. According to reports, the community has lost nearly 80% of its population to the United States. The aim of this attraction is to educate the locals that crossing the border is not only dangerous and illegal, but it robs the community of precious human talent.

So, what do you get for your $20? the three hour border crossing simulation includes:

Being chased by dogs

Avoiding border guards

Running from narco-gangs

Crossing a river

Being driven blindfolded to their final destination of “Dallas” (not really Dallas).

PBS reporter Irina Zhorov participated in the experience and spoke with Maribel Garcia, a park official who explained the ultimate goal of the project, “Our objective is to stop the immigration that exists amongst our citizens, principally from the state of Mexico to the U.S.”